MIT Koch Institute
January 4, 2021
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Institute, the history of which is intimately linked with that of cancer research at MIT. Following passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, Professor Salvador Luria, the Nobel prize-winning head of MIT’s Department of Biology, applied for and won funding to open one of the first NCI-designated cancer centers. The MIT Center for Cancer Research, predecessor to the Koch Institute, set the standard for investigating the fundamental nature of cancer, making key biological discoveries that helped shape the field and advance new treatments. Efforts are underway to name the KI Auditorium in Luria’s honor.
Read about Luria’s science and mentorship here.